


Gay Bar

by USS_Hannigram (uss_hilson)



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bisexual Male Character, M/M, Masturbation, Non-Consensual Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:14:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uss_hilson/pseuds/USS_Hannigram
Summary: Will starts to question his own sexuality.  Both Will and Hannibal come to realisations of their own.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of NBC’s Hannibal, and particularly the episode Su-zakana.

\-- Will’s Acknowledgment

It’s true, Will had kissed Alana and had even admitted to Hannibal that he’d been lusting after her for quite some time (stating, “she’s very kissable”), but those feelings – in part due to Alana’s repeated rejections of him – seemed to fall flat lately. In fact, Will had a hard time feeling much of anything, at least much of anything good. He didn’t really consider himself the sort of person to have friends, at least not of the human persuasion. Dogs understood him, and he understood dogs. And then, he met Hannibal. Hannibal, who seemed to understand his peculiarities. Hannibal, who seemed to be the only person Will interacted with on a regular basis who didn’t treat Will as if he was carrying some sort of plague. Hannibal, who seemed to honestly enjoy being with him.

It’s all well and good to become friends with another man, but it’s something altogether when that other man knows that you are becoming ill, allows it to happen, and then frames you not only for murder, but for a multitude of murders. _How does one forgive that?_ Will didn’t know the answer. However, while he didn’t necessarily forgive Hannibal, Will seemed to accept it. And, in his own way, Hannibal was just as peculiar, just as broken, as Will. Will didn’t know what caused Hannibal’s soul to shatter, he only knew that Hannibal was the only person who let him see the brokenness inside of him to the extent that Will no longer felt alone. And even if Hannibal had tried to frame him for murder, in a small sense, it didn’t matter. Will had Hannibal in his corner, even if he was also having to fight against Hannibal’s influences.

That night in the stable, as Will stood trembling, wanting to shoot (murder) another man, Hannibal stopped him. Yes, Will was filled with regret, but Hannibal also opened up to Will. “ **I could never entirely predict you** ,” Hannibal remarked, smiling softly as he looked down at Will. “I can feed the caterpillar, I can whisper through the chrysalis, but what hatches follows its own nature and is beyond me.” Hannibal had cupped the side of Will’s head, staring deeply into his eyes as if he and he alone knew Will’s soul. And, perhaps he did. Will had been having trouble knowing his own mind, yet somehow Hannibal was able to understand him more than Will himself. Perhaps that came with Hannibal’s advanced medical training, but perhaps it came from the fact that Hannibal’s soul was darker than Will had allowed his to become.

Will knew that perhaps he was reading too much into that exchange which occurred in the stables, amongst a mutilated horse, a murderous social worker, and an impaired former stablehand, but he couldn’t help it. Not even Alana, in the few romantic moments they shared together, looked at Will with such love and understanding. Surely, despite the chaos Lecter inflicted upon Will, the fact that he still wanted to help Will in therapy showed some sign of affection. And that’s what Will couldn’t get over. He couldn’t recall anyone ever looking at him like that. Like they could see into his soul. Like they loved him in spite of the darkness in him, _because_ of the darkness in him. And that’s what caused Will to feel stirrings that he tried to ignore until it seemed to be all that he could think of.

\-- Hannibal’s Rising

Hannibal didn’t view himself as heterosexual, or homosexual, or bisexual. He was simply Hannibal. Most people bored him. Some interested him – or rather, some caught his professional curiousity. But Will Graham? Will engaged him. Will excited him. Will made him feel fraught with life and desire in a way that he couldn’t recall ever feeling. Will was the one person with whom Hannibal interacted on a regular basis that he deemed to be his intellectual equal. Of course, while Hannibal was book-learned, Will’s intelligence came mostly from his extremely empathetic nature. In fact, it was something so rare that even in all of his years, Hannibal had never encountered it in another individual, either personally or professionally.

What many didn’t understand about Hannibal Lecter is that due to the abuse he endured as a young boy, he equated love with destruction. Being fed his beloved younger sister, Mischa, when he was starving made Hannibal vow to himself (and to Mischa) that he would not let his younger sister’s murder and consumption be in vain. Yes, she was slaughtered like a pig by Nazi sympathizers who were starving, but Hannibal would have given his life to save hers. He would have given it willingly, and in his youth’s innocence, he would have believed the strange, evil men if they had promised to spare Mischa’s life in taking his. Instead, he was not allowed to present that option. Mischa was sent off – supposedly to play -- but that was only to separate her from Hannibal who would have fought fiercely to protect his sister. Instead, it wasn’t until he was eating the meat stew that he realized what (or rather, whom) he was eating. It wasn’t until he saw the soiled red ribbon that had been in Mischa’s hair, that she had insisted upon wearing each day, starting to burn at the edge of the hearth, that Hannibal realized that Mischa no longer wanted or needed that ribbon. And it was then that he swore that he would dedicate his life to her (as if he hadn’t already). 

How could a young, starving boy forgive himself for the ultimate betrayal of his sister? Why hadn’t he insisted in going with her? Why hadn’t he insisted on knowing what was in the food that the soldiers seemed to conjure out of thin air? Whatever the reasons, they didn’t matter. It was too late. And so, to avoid hating himself and causing his own destruction (thus negating Mischa’s sacrifice), the young master of the Lecter estate learned to equate destruction with love. The ultimate destruction of a man is his death. To use that man’s death to fuel another man’s life must surely be love. Mischa died and allowed Hannibal to live, even if the sacrifice hadn’t been her own choice. And so, Hannibal allowed his love for Mischa to be reborn and for Mischa’s sacrifice to be renewed each time he turned another being – be it man or animal – into a meal. 

It was true, most civilized individuals would not prefer to feast on their fellow man, but Hannibal did not view himself as a mere man. No. Instead, Hannibal was a god. If God could cause the collapse of a church on 72 praying grandmothers and find no evil in it, then surely Hannibal could cause the destruction of a number of (rude, slovenly) individuals and dine upon them without such being evil. However, Lecter also realized that most would find him to be without compassion for doing so, and as such, he kept his proclivities to himself, mostly.


	2. Chapter 2

\-- Will’s decision

After ruminating over his newfound realization, Will had another realization: He could not just walk into Hannibal Lecter’s office, declare his desire, and embrace Lecter. No. In fact, that would negate any chance he had at continuing his therapy. (Indeed, it was beyond odd that Lecter did not seem to bear him any ill will for setting that orderly upon him to kill him.) No. A few months ago, Will had been trying to convince Alana that he was stable enough to embark on a relationship with her. Looking back, he could only admit that Alana was right in being suspicious of his assertions. However, Will was never interested in anyone but women before he met Hannibal. Now… now he had a stark realization. 

Despite growing up with a father who was the stereotypical man’s man, Will was not homophobic. In fact, his collegue, Jimmy Price, was gay, and Will never thought twice of it. Jimmy was a good guy, and a talented forensic mortician. But, Will couldn’t go to Jimmy to ask whether his feelings were overarching to all men in general or whether it was possible that he was just intimately attracted to Hannibal, regardless of sex. Unfortunately, Will couldn’t ask the only other person besides Lecter whom he could even deem a friend, Jack Crawford. Jack was another man’s man, and his life was complicated enough with the cancer diagnosis that his wife had received but hid from him for months. The fact that Jack got up and went to work every day was admirable, but Will couldn’t foist his screwed up feelings on Jack. No, that wouldn’t work.

Not having anyone to confide in (because he surely couldn’t discuss this with the object of his affection), Will brainstormed on how to deal with this recent turn of events. He found himself going upstairs, leaving the dogs downstairs, and masturbating at night (nearly each night), imagining Hannibal’s face mere inches away from his. **“I could never entirely predict you.”** _No, you couldn’t. Neither could I. And despite your betrayal, and despite my betrayal, we still find ourselves across from one another, staring into one another’s eyes…_

While Will found temporary relief in masturbation, it also resulted in a heightened acknowledgment of his feelings for Hannibal. In fact, he was simultaneously dreading and feverously anticipating his next standing appointment with Dr. Lecter. How could he sit across from a man that he wanted to know as intimately as possible? Will was already having to form a defense against the man who framed him for the Chesapeake Ripper’s (Lecter’s own) killings, while simultaneously letting Lecter into his psyche to help him know his true self better. To keep that defense up while trying to erect a defense against Hannibal’s intimate nature… the way he looked at Will, the way he smiled at Will, the way he held himself across from Will when Will sat in his office. It was almost too much. Will needed some way to get relief, more relief than he’d been able to give himself thus far. And that gave him an idea. 

As Lecter once told his former patient, Franklyn Froideveaux, Baltimore was a small town. As such, while Will had options, he didn’t have nearly as many options as if he lived in say, New York, or San Francisco. (And, Will had to admit, Wolf Trap was even smaller in options and mindset than Baltimore. Plus, he wouldn’t want the guy he bought milk from to run into him during his experiment.) However, Will was still able to use his phone to research the local area gay bars. Most of them seemed too flamboyant for his likes. He was a loner, and just wanted someplace where he could maybe meet someone, talk a bit, and have a beer. He settled on a place called “Rowan Tree”. It seemed laid back but tended to cater to the area’s local gay crowd on the weekend. Unfortunately, that meant that Will had to get through one session with Hannibal before venturing out.

\-- Hannibal’s discretion

Lecter had long realized that he found himself looking forward to Thursday nights because Thursday was the day of his standing appointment with Will Graham. From the beginning, Will had intrigued Hannibal, he had interested him. Shortly before Will began to succumb to encephalitis, Hannibal realized that he had a strong attraction to Will. He wouldn’t admit to it being a romantic attraction (although his own therapist, Dr. Du Maurier, suspected as such), but he would admit to himself that he wanted to know Will Graham wholly and completely. Hannibal wanted to learn all of Will’s peculiarities, all of his likes, dislikes, and how he developed his keen sense of empathy. He also found himself in a dream-like state when he stared into Will’s eyes. He supposed that could be the stirrings of romantic love, but he would not entertain the thought any further.

Lecter’s last client before Will was due to arrive left at six. Will’s session was at 7:30. Hannibal often let himself relax with a glass of wine and an old recording of the London Philharmonic while awaiting Will’s arrival. Once, Will missed his appointment. After waiting over an hour for Will to walk into his office unannounced, as if it was also his office, Lecter found himself consumed with a flash of anger, resentment (at time wasted), and concern. Knowing that Will was unwell, he was relieved to find his not-official patient in an FBI classroom, staring off into space. But, since Will was released from the Maryland State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, he had not missed an appointment.

At 7:27 pm, Will Graham turned the doorknob to Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s office and entered. “I hope I’m not late,” Will offered in greeting.

“Not at all. In fact, you’re early,” Lecter responded with a smile, rising to meet the other man. Will went straight to the chair he always sat at when he met with Lecter, while Hannibal sat in his usual chair, across from Will. “How are you today?”

“Conflicted,” Will blurt out, before grimacing and shaking his head, ashamed of his lack of restraint.

“What are you conflicted about?”

“Just… my feelings. I’ve gone through a lot over the past few months. We’ve been through a lot. I… tried to have you killed. But only after you tried to frame me for murder, so I feel like I was sort of justified in my actions.” Will looked up at Lecter, his hands on his legs.

Lecter’s legs were crossed, his back pressed against the back of his chair per usual. “So, you feel justified in your actions? Do you feel that you usually need to justify your actions, or only when they involve murder?”

“Isn’t that part of civilized society? We need to act accordingly. We shouldn’t hurt others. Do no harm. Especially if you work for the FBI. Yet, I didn’t act befitting of an FBI agent.”

“In your defense, you were a special agent. You weren’t fully vested like Jack Crawford.”

Will chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. But still… I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately, and what I did to you.” 

“I think about you every day. You are my friend, and I would like to think that I am yours.”

“I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that you understand the weirdness that makes me me in a way that doesn’t seem to scare you. I scare Jack. I scare Beverly. I scare Alana. Alana wanted to be my saviour, but was afraid of what would happen if she saved me from myself.”

“Alana did not want a relationship with you.”

“She did, she just didn’t want it with the full version of me. The real me.”

“Then that was her loss. I believe that everyone has something to offer. What do you believe?” Lecter asked.

“I…” Will trailed off and grinned, shaking his head again. “I don’t know what I believe. That’s why I’m here. I need you to help me. I need you to help me learn what I believe. Who I am. What I want. What I need.”

“Sometimes it is easier to discuss what we want instead of learning what we need as individuals. What do you want, Will?”

Graham shifted in his seat and looked around Lecter’s office. “I suppose I want a bit of normalcy. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

“No, it isn’t. However, you seem impatient, unwilling to be here tonight. Would you rather be somewhere else?”

“I don’t know,” Will responded, looking over at the stag statue that Lecter kept on a small accent table. He had a pang of guilt. Whatever their past, Dr. Lecter was trying to help Will find himself. And Lecter did a lot of good for a lot of people. In fact, he was instrumental in helping Will assist the FBI in finding and incarcerating a variety of serial killers. “I’ve just been thinking about fidelity lately and I realized that even in your own twisted way, when everyone else wrote me off as a murderer, you were still at my side. Granted, I wouldn’t have been institutionalized if it weren’t for you, but even if you didn’t mean to, you helped me know myself better inside those walls. I learned more about what I wanted, what I needed, and what I could do.”

“Well then,” Lecter smiled, “it sounds like your therapy is working.”

“Yes, it is,” Will chuckled, letting his head cock to one side as he smiled at Lecter.

Despite noticing that Will seemed closed off during therapy, Hannibal continued trying to reach him as he would any client. Shortly before 9 pm, Will thanked Lecter for his time before leaving. Hannibal closed up the office portion of his residence after finishing up his case notes, and retired for the night, thinking of the other man and his peculiar behavior that night. 

While Will still seemed to harbor resentment towards Hannibal for their past (not realizing that Hannibal’s attempt at destruction was a display of love), Hannibal decided that there was no reason that he couldn’t enjoy his own life regardless of Will’s wishes and desires. Lecter was a solitary creature by nature due to the loss of his sister, but even solitary creatures like to be surrounded by other humans once in a blue moon. As such, on Friday, Dr. Hannibal Lecter decided to go out and enjoy some of what Baltimore had to offer.

Hannibal decided that he would head down to a mixer at his alma mater, John Hopkins. Every month, the university had an alumni gathering where professionals could mix, mingle, and network. Despite usually dressing in a way that would make most of the men featured in GQ Magazine blush, Hannibal donned a burgundy v-neck sweater, black slacks, and a black leather biker’s jacket, with mechanic’s boots. He wet his hair and used mousse to style it to fall over his forehead to give him a casual look instead of the perfectly coifed psychiatrist he presented to the world nearly every time he left his home.

Hannibal spent nearly an hour at the mixer, but his mind kept going back to Will. It was hard to pretend to be engaged in conversation when he didn’t care what anyone was saying to him. Interesting individuals were rare, and having attended a highly respected institution did not automatically make one interesting. As such, Lecter left and decided to find a place where he could watch a crowd of other patrons while having a glass of wine. He called for a cab to meet him at his home and after seeing a description for a bar in an entertainment guide that boasted a “small crowd, local atmosphere” which tended to attract older couples, Hannibal asked his driver to take him to the Rowan Tree. 

“You know that’s a queer bar on the weekends, right?” his cabbie asked him. 

“I’m going to have a drink and people watch,” Lecter replied.

“Well then, it’ll be perfect. Have fun _watching_!”


	3. Chapter 3

\-- Will’s surprise

Will felt like he had a vice grip around his chest during his session with Hannibal that week, and was almost surprised when he found his older model Cutlass in the parking lot for the Rowan Tree. He took his keys out of the ignition and locked his car before going into the bar’s side entrance. One look around told him that he chose the right night to venture out, but the wrong outfit. Will was in a white and blue checkered shirt, and khakis. “ _I look like I’m dressed for work_ ,” he thought wryly, “ _well, maybe someone will take pity on me.”_

Will slowly approached the bar and took an empty seat. When the bartender came up to him, he ordered a Bud Light, but then quickly changed his order to a Stella Artois once he saw that it was on tap. “That’s for the usual mom and pop crowd,” the bartender explained after seeing Will eye the taps. “Are you sure you don’t want something a bit more… fun?”

“No. A Stella’s fine. I’m just….”

“New to the scene?” the bartender asked, one brow arched.

“Yeah. New. How much do I owe you?”

“Four if you’re a bore, five if you’re a peach.” 

Will handed the man a ten dollar bill and two ones. “For this round and the next one.” He was new to all of this and wanted a friend in case things went south.

“I suspected you were a peach beneath those bore-O clothes! I’ll be back in a minute, hon.” The bartender moved toward the taps and filled a few more orders while Will turned on his barstool and took in the room. 

Baltimore was a bit archaic in ways, and its gay scene – or rather, this bar -- definitely seemed as if it were out of a 90s coming out movie. The Village People played, then Madonna, then Wham! Men wore tight mesh shirts and studded collars. One guy in his 20s looked as though he’d been dipped in glitter. Will was second guessing his decision to go out, but he hadn’t even finished his first beer yet.

“Well hello there, you must be new!” exclaimed a silky tenor voice to his left. Will turned in his seat and looked up. “Hi, I’m Roberto. What’s your name, tiger?”

“I’m…I’m Will. Will Graham.”

“Will Graham? Oooh. I haven’t learned a guy’s full name first in quite some time. And are you new to the area, Will Graham?”

“No. No, not anymore. I’ve lived here for awhile now. Actually, I don’t even live in Baltimore. I work here though. I live in Wolf Trap, Virginia. But, I’m out in the middle of nowhere.” Will stuttered out, nervously.

“I’ve never been to Wolf Trap, is it nice?”

“Yeah, it’s nice if you don’t like people.”

Roberto laughed. “You don’t like people, Will Graham?”

“No, not particularly. Dogs. I like dogs.”

“Then why are you here tonight?”

“I… thought I’d try something new.”

Roberto eyed Will, starting at Will’s face and directing his gaze downwards. “And exactly how far away is Wolf Trap?”

“Not too far. About an hour.”

“You drove to a gay bar in another state, an hour away? Boy, this is definitely your first time!”

Will looked down and laughed. “Guilty as charged. You caught me.”

Roberto smiled back. “Well, what are your plans for tonight? Would you like to get hot and sweaty? We could dance, or we could go back to my place.”

Will blushed. “Um, no thank you. I really just sort of wanted to get used to the vibe here and maybe have a few drinks.”

“Is that all you’re drinking? I could order you a zombie.”

“I’m close to being done with this one, and I’ve got another one coming to me. But, if you want to order a zombie and drink with me, that would be okay.” Will picked up his pint glass of Stella to finish it, signaling to Roberto that he was willing to be social.

Roberto caught the bartender’s eye. “Hi, hi there! Hey sweetheart, Mr. Will Graham here would like his second drink, and I’d like a zombie.”

“So, the usual. Eh, Roberto?” the bartender asked with a sly grin.

“Shh! Just play nice. I need some time to get to know my new friend. Will, are you sure you don’t want a zombie to go with your beer? It’s rummy and fun!”

“No,” Will protested, raising his hands. “I’m good with the Stella. What can I say, I’m a bit of a boring guy.”

“Well, I don’t know about that but I’m willing to find out. Ok, Gary, one zombie, and bring Will his beer, s’il vous plaît.” Roberto turned to Will. “So, far from home and all alone, what _is_ a boy to do?”

Will looked at the other man, having been a bit surprised when he called the bartender by name. Roberto had jet black hair that was slicked back and shaved short on the sides. He wore a long-sleeved silky sapphire blue shirt, and tight black jeans. He had a black leather bracelet on his right arm, and a metal ring in the middle finger of his left hand. “You seem like you come here often,” Will offered, unsure of how to answer Roberto’s previous statement.

“Once a week, usually. Sometimes it depends though. Normally Fridays are for us, and Saturdays are for the dykes, but sometimes it’s pretty evenly split. When it’s like that, I’ll turn around and go to Club Bunns or Mixers. Depends on my mood. If I want a leather daddy, I end up at the Eagle. Are you into leather?”

Will shook his head and raised his eyebrows. “No, not really. I mean, I wear a belt, and I’m pretty sure these shoes are leather,” he stated, gesturing down, “but that’s about it.”

“Ooh, you should try some. I bet you’d look super hot in a leather vest, no shirt, worn jeans. Meow!” Will blushed again as Gary came back with their drinks. “Thanks, sweetie.”

“Don’t mention it. Now, you boys be good!” Gary commented, winking before turning back to the far end of the bar. Gary knew all of the regulars on the weekend, and he knew what vices most of them had. He wouldn’t be surprised if the guy in the plaid was drugged and dragged back to Roberto’s place by the end of the night. New meat often was, after all. If they liked it, they’d come back. If not, they’d avoid the Rowan Tree – at least on the weekends.

Roberto insisted that Will try some of his drink. “Wow,” Will replied, squinting. “What’s in that thing?”

“Oh, you know…. Rum, bitters, lime juice, absinthe. All the fun stuff.”

“Absinthe? Christ, am I going to start seeing things now?” Will became paranoid. He drove himself to a gay bar an hour away from home. If this ended badly, it’s not like he could just call Alana or Jack to take him home.

“Don’t worry, honey. It’s just a dash. Nothing big. Just to give it that extra punch of flavor! I’m certain that it makes your Stella taste like piss water in comparison though.”

Will laughed, tilting his head. “No, I actually have pretty simple tastes.”

“Dogs and beer, huh?” Roberto asked.

“Yeah, dogs and beer.” 

“Well, you should try piss sometime, you might like it!” Roberto’s quip made Will laugh although Will wasn’t entirely certain that it was just a joke. 

The two men watched the crowd as Roberto pointed out various people and introduced Will to at least a dozen men who had all come up to the bar to grab a drink or say hi. Roberto was popular if anything. Will eventually finished his Stella and, to acquiesce to Roberto’s demand that he get something more tropical, ordered a bottle of Corona “with a lime, please.” It made Roberto laugh as he’d gone on to have at least two more drinks in the meantime. Will didn’t think that he’d ever know Roberto after tonight, but at least he was beginning to calm down and relax even though he refused Roberto’s offiers to dance. Sitting and talking with someone who didn’t know him at all was nice. No judgment, no intense staring. It was as close to fun as he’d had in a long time.

\-- Hannibal’s fury

After tipping his cab, Hannibal entered the Rowan Tree. He had expected a quiet, secluded pub where he could people watch. Instead, as the cab driver had warned him, he’d stumbled into a gay dance club. If he’d driven himself, he’d have just left and gone home, but Hannibal decided that he could still people watch even if he weren’t interested in any of the subjects.

As he entered, Hannibal noticed the strobe lights and multitude of figures grinding against one another on the dance floor. He looked around and - upon not seeing any empty tables - decided to sit at the bar. It was fairly crowded with patrons already drinking and those ordering or waiting for drinks, but it was better than standing in the corner. After a few minutes, a bartender came up to him. “Hi there, and what might I do for _you_ tonight?”

“Do you have a wine list?” Hannibal asked.

The bartender laughed. “Oh doll, are you sure you weren’t supposed to meet your wife here a few nights ago? All we have tonight are white wine spritzers. I could get you a hard seltzer, maybe a White Claw?”

Hannibal frowned. “Never mind the wine. What about bourbon? I imagine you have something decent tucked away somewhere for us boring folk.”

The bartender smiled. “Actually, you’re in luck. You like Eagle Rare?”

Hannibal smiled back. “Yes, I do.”

“Well then, will it be one finger or two?”

“Let’s say two - I’m not driving tonight. And on the rocks, please.” The bartender smiled and went off to pour Hannibal’s drink. Hannibal watched the dance floor, amused by the carefree attitude many of its temporary inhabitants were trying to display. One man was spending entirely too much time kissing his dance partner to have it be a casual display of affection, especially as he kept looking across the room to a large, bald man who was flirting with someone else. The bald man’s companion was shorter, but also rotund, with dark, curly hair and a beard. For an instant, Hannibal was concerned that his initial impression of Franklyn was true. However, upon closer look, he noticed that the shorter man had double hoops in his left ear – Franklyn never wore earrings and did not bear the marks of having ever pierced his ears. ( _Also, Franklyn was dead._ ) A few minutes later, the bartender came back with a rocks glass filled with ice and bourbon. 

“Enjoy.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“You can just start a tab if you’d like.”

“No, that’s ok.” The bartender looked at him as if he were disappointed at the thought of Hannibal leaving so soon. “On second though, let’s do that. Like I said, I’m not driving. But, I’m entirely overdressed for this establishment so I may need to go out and get a breath of fresh air occasionally. I’ll make sure to stop back before I leave though, ‘promise.” Hannibal smiled seductively at the bartender, knowing that it would convince the other man that he would be true to his word. 

The bartender put his hand over Hannibal’s. “ _Such_ a gentleman!”

“Don’t let my secret slip out!” Hannibal purred back as he grinned at the bartender before turning back to watch the crowd. He sipped his Eagle Rare – not his first choice, but a perfectly fine everyday drinking bourbon for a man of his refined tastes. He felt eyes glance at him from afar, but no one approached him and he was just as happy for it. Most people were bores if not merely boring. 

After several songs, the 80s hit, “It’s Raining Men” came on. Several pairs of men jumped up to join the others on the already crowded dance floor. Hannibal noticed a man with slicked back dark hair and a dark shirt drag another man onto the dance floor who looked like he’d forgotten to shower for his appearance in an Old Navy ad. He smirked to himself until he felt a pang of familiarity. _Was it? It couldn’t be!_ Hannibal left his bar stool and chose one closer to the dancing pair. His eyes confirmed that it was indeed Will Graham dancing with some unknown man. Hannibal hadn’t known that Will was gay, but he was guessing that Will hadn’t known, either. After all, there was all that business with Alana awhile back.

The fast pace of the bar’s apparent Friday night theme song resulted in a lot of happy shouts and sweaty bodies. Hannibal watched closely as the unknown man wrapped an arm tight around Will’s midsection while leading him back to the bar. Would Will notice Hannibal? Perhaps, but Will also seemed like he probably should have stopped at least one drink ago. Besides, it was dark aside from the coloured strobe lights that skirted around the dance floor. 

Will sat down with his acquaintance before pointing to the men’s room and leaning over to whisper in the other man’s ear (as everyone does in a loud club). He got up and left while the other man ordered two of something and slipped the bartender money while raising a finger to his lips. The bartender came back quickly with two wide-mouth cans of Foster’s, already opened. With his eyes focused on the bathroom door, the dark-haired man noticed Will exiting and quickly moved his hand over the beer meant for Will. The man then gestured to the drink. Will rose his hands and Hannibal could see him mouth “no, no. I’m good.” However, Will’s acquaintance was persistent, if not trustworthy. To humour him, Will took a large drink from the can and then shook his head. 

If one is unfamiliar with Foster’s, then one might have thought that the man in the Old Navy dad wear had tasted the drug that had recently been slipped into the can. However, if one is familiar with Foster’s, then one would know that it was chosen because it tastes so simultaneously strong and horrid that one could not possibly detect anything other than kangaroo piss. Regardless of Will’s familiarity with it, he shoved it back only to have it shoved towards him again by the other man. Will kept putting up his hands and trying to rationalize with his acquaintance while the other man’s voice started to raise. Will acquiesced, taking another large gulp of the beer. 

It happened in seconds. Will was about to drink even more of that swill to satisfy the man who bought the drink, but he never had a chance. Instead, he saw Roberto get forcefully spun around on his stool only to stare up at the man who accosted him. For far from the last time in their relationship, upon following Roberto’s gaze, Will was confused at seeing Hannibal. “ _Dr. Lecter_?” Lecter let his gaze drift past Roberto. “Hannibal?”

“Yes, Will.”

“Hey, what the hell, bud? _What the fuc_ —“ Lecter had grabbed the other man by his shirt collar, and tightened his grip. The fabric twisted in Lecter’s hand, causing discomfort to both men. 

“Will, while you excused yourself to use the restroom, this man slipped something into your drink.” Hannibal spoke evenly, in his usual matter-of-fact tone.

“What?”

“Listen, why don’t you shut the fuck up? Some of us plan on getting laid here, old man!” Roberto no sooner finished his statement than Lecter pulled him to his feet and threw him against the nearby wall. He grabbed the front of Roberto’s neck with one hand, clenching tightly.

“Take a good look at Will,” Lecter announced over his shoulder. “This is going to be the last time you ever see him again.” He directed his attention back to Roberto. “If it isn’t, then this won’t be the last time you ever see me, either.” Lecter paused to move closer to Roberto, dropping his voice to a soft growl. “However, the next time you see me, it _will_ be the last time you see another human being again. Am I clear?”

Roberto’s eyes were bulging as he tried to nod his head yes while rapidly losing oxygen. “Will, we are leaving. Find your keys.” Will could barely think, but managed to do as he was told.

Will rose to hand his keys to Hannibal as Gary, the bartender who had served all three men that night, started to shout. “Hey, what the hell? We don’t have fights here, man. Take the lover’s quarrel outside and away from here!”

Lecter tightened his grip on Roberto’s throat a bit more to see how far the other man’s eyes could bulge before he dropped him to the floor. Robert began gasping for air. Hannibal withdrew a fifty dollar bill and slapped it on the bar. “This should square us up for the night. My friend and I are going to call a cab and we will be outside waiting for it to arrive. If you _or he_ ,” he warned, pointing to Roberto, huddled on the floor, coughing, “even try to bother us, I will make it known what happened here tonight and ensure that it doesn’t happen again. You will be an accessory to attempted criminal sexual conduct, and _that thing_ will also be tried. Am I clear?”

The bartender raised his hands. “Whoa, it’s okay man. Just go outside, we’re good. Okay? We’re good. We’re all just here for a good time.”

“Good,” Lecter responded. He put one arm around Will to lead him through the dance floor which, after what had just happened, parted as if Hannibal were Moses parting the Red Sea. Once the men got outside, Lecter opened Will’s car and placed Will in the passenger’s seat. He then got in the back, behind the driver’s seat, and called another cab. 

“Why aren’t you sitting with me, Hannibal? It’s cold. At least start the car,” Will pleaded, apparently oblivious to what just happened or having already forgotten.

“Because if I do that, I could get charged with operating under the influence, and I do not feel like calling a bails bondsman tonight. If I had, I would have stayed in the bar a bit longer.”

Even in the darkness, Will’s face showed recognition of the potential that the cops might still be called and that they would, in fact, likely get in trouble for having his car running. “Well, I can still turn on a light!” He pushed at the vanity light button above his head. “Hey, why are you here?”

The faint light framing their faces let each man see enough of the other to see their expressions. “I could ask you the same question,” Hannibal responded with a slight smile.

“ _I’m here tonight to see if I’m gay,_ ” Will blurted, forcing the words out before his head started spinning.

“That’s interesting. I was just wondering if you were gay, too.”

“Why are you here tonight? Did you follow me?” Will pointed at Hannibal, his finger a few inches from the other man’s nose.

“No, I did not. I had planned on having a quiet evening involving some wine and a bit of people watching. I did not realize until I was nearly here that the Rowan Tree had theme nights. Regardless, I still managed to people watch.”

Will frowned. “I think Roberto was trying to get me drunk. He kept telling me to have just one more, but I’d only planned on having two and that’s it.”

“So, is it fair to say that you got what you wanted?”

“I mean….” Will looked away and smiled. “Why did you show up tonight?”

“Would you have preferred that I didn’t? You likely would have had a much different night had I not come across you.”

Will put his head back against the cool passenger door to control the spinning. “Ugh… no talking please. Can we not talk for five minutes?”

“Certainly. Let’s just wait for the cab to arrive.”


	4. Chapter 4

\-- Will’s acceptance

Surprisingly, the cab arrived ten minutes after Will had laid his head back against his car door. Hannibal exited and waved to the driver, who backed in to allow Lecter to grab a groggy Will and sit him in the back. Hannibal then locked Will’s car and got in behind the driver, next to Will. He gave the driver his own address, and the cab took off, leaving Will’s car to be retrieved the next morning.

Will laid his head against Hannibal’s shoulder and muttered, “thank you for saving me.” Hannibal looked down at the mess of curls, and gently stroked Will’s hair. He allowed his gaze to return to the space in front of him, noticing the driver watching them in his rearview mirror. 

“My friend’s had a bit too much to drink, and I hadn’t planned on driving tonight. Thank you for your services.”

“Will you guys need a lift tomorrow morning?”

“No. We’ll stay at my place and pick up his car tomorrow. I’ll take him to get it. I appreciate the offer.” The driver nodded and all three men stayed quiet until they had arrived at Hannibal’s residence.

“You need a hand getting him in?” the driver offered.

“Let me get the house unlocked and then I should be fine. He’ll realize where he’s at once he’s woken up a bit.” Hannibal left the cab to open his front door and then leaned into the open passenger’s window. After glancing at the meter’s fee, he handed the man enough to cover the fee and provide a handsome tip before rousting Will from the back.

“Thanks a lot, sir!” the cabbie called out. Will was on his feet and starting to regain consciousness, and waved back sloppily.

“Come now. It’s time for bed.” Hannibal helped Will to the handrail and into the house.

“I was there because I wanted to see if I was gay.”

“Yes, you mentioned that previously. However, you didn’t posit an answer at that time,” Hannibal replied, shepherding Will upstairs.

“I’m not.” Will stated. He stopped with Hannibal at the top of the stairs. “I’m just in love with you.” He quickly slipped his hands around the taller man’s neck before leaning up and slipping his tongue into Hannibal’s mouth. 

\-- Hannibal’s passion

Before he was able to think, Hannibal’s tongue found Will’s and he pressed his body forward. While he had not realized what he wanted until it happened, Hannibal knew that he had a deep desire for Will for months. At first, he thought it was merely that Will made him feel like he was no longer alone. He thought that he had to consume Will as he consumed Mischa to ensure that he was never without Will. That lead him to framing Will, acting on impulse when even his acts of culling of the world’s rude were always highly orchestrated. But now, none of that mattered. He felt Will push against his body before he wrapped his arms around the other man’s shoulders and pushed him against the far wall. He was getting hard…

Will’s grip around Hannibal’s neck tightened as Hannibal ran his hands through Will’s hair. Will’s right hand started to travel downwards, but Hannibal broke his lips away. “Will, I can’t.”

“But, I want you to,” Will purred back, leaning forward to brush his lips against Hannibal’s.

“I’m your therapist, and you’re drunk.”

“You’re not my therapist tonight. And you’ve been drinking, too. I can taste it on you.” Hearing Will’s words, hearing Will tell him that he could taste him, drove Hannibal wild with desire as he allowed the other man to meet his lips again. Will began running one hand through Hannibal’s hair as the other worked its way between their two torsos, towards Hannibal’s erection. _How could he deny him?_

“Will,” Hannibal pulled back once again, “I simply cannot.” He shook his head and smiled wryly. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but there are so many things wrong with this scenario that I would be no more innocent than that man back at the bar who tried to drug you. Please, don’t make me reject you.”

Will stopped for a moment, Lecter’s words hitting him, bringing forth another wave of clarity. “I… I probably shouldn’t have done this. I shouldn’t have come here with you tonight. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He let his hands return back to his sides.

“You _weren’t_ thinking,” Hannibal grinned. “You were too inebriated to think clearly. It’s okay though. I doubt no one will remember this except us, and I’m not entirely sure you’ll remember it either once morning comes.” Hannibal took a few steps towards his bedroom and held out a hand to Will. “Now come. It’s time that we both sleep this off. I’ll find you some clothes to change into.”


	5. Chapter 5

\-- Will’s calmness

True to his word, Hannibal grabbed Will a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a fresh t-shirt. “Here, change into these. I’ve got mine in the bathroom, so I’ll change in there. Give me a shout when you’re done.”

After a few minutes during which Will fumbled with his belt buckle, shoes, and shirt, he called towards the bathroom door. “Ready.”

Hannibal came out wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black and gray checked bottoms. He regarded Will in his clothes. “A bit large on you, but they should work for tonight. Now, you can take my bed and I’ll sleep across the hall or I could even go downstairs, if you’d like.”

“I’d prefer you stay here.”

“Alright, I can grab you a pillow and some blankets and we can set you up somewhere. Which spot sounds good to you?” Hannibal started to make his way towards the bed to grab a pillow.

"Hannibal, I want to sleep right here. Next to you.”

Lecter looked at him dubiously. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Will walked over and inserted himself in the area between Hannibal and the side of the bed nearest the bathroom. His side was barely grazing Hannibal’s arm. “It should be just fine. Just let me sleep closest to the bathroom since I’m not used to your bedroom yet.” He smiled at himself for the inclusion of the last word. It was freeing to be honest instead of trying to hide his feelings. True, Lecter might still eventually kill or destroy him some day, but for now he could enjoy being free with his words and feelings (at least while the two were alone). “I just want to be near you, next to you. I want to feel you beside me as I sleep. I want to be able to smell you and know you’re here in case I need you. I’m sick of waking up in cold sweats from nightmares and having no one to console me. I even scare the dogs.”

It was almost as if Will knew exactly what to say to pull on Lecter’s heartstrings. How could he deny Will anything, especially with that plea? “Okay. But just like a stray dog, you must stay on your side of the bed. Otherwise, I’m liable to lose my license and I’ll have to end up moving in with you and the dogs, and I’ve seen where you sleep. There’s not enough room for all of us.” He let Will climb into bed before entering on the far side. Hannibal had a king-sized bed, but he rarely ever shared it. In fact, he hadn’t shared it in years before this. Having another grown man in bed with him made him feel as if he were trying to share a twin, but if he could turn his back on Will and fall asleep, he could let Will sober up and take him back to his car in the morning.

“Goodnight, Hannibal.” Will uttered the phrase as if it were a prayer.

“Goodnight, Will.” Hannibal turned off the nearby light. “Sleep well.”

\-- Hannibal’s lapse

Surprisingly, Will seemed true to his word. The other man just slept quietly in Hannibal’s bed. Occasionally, he would mutter in his sleep, obviously in a dream state. Hannibal noticed that Will seemed to have disturbing, violent dreams, but Will wasn’t nearly as disturbed that night as countless other nights he’d recounted where he had bolted upright, screaming and frightening the dogs. Allowing himself to indulge in their physical intimacy and closeness, Hannibal lay on his side towards Will for over an hour. He watched Will breathe, and his fingers would gently stroke an errant bit of hair. He was even able to lean forward a bit and smell Will. He expected Will to smell of alcohol and fear, but he could not smell the fear, surprisingly. Will had calmed down. Maybe that was Will’s problem after all – it was hard for him to cope with the pressures of his job without having an established sense of physical intimacy with another human being. After all, dogs could only offer so much. Eventually, Hannibal turned back so that he faced away from Will before falling asleep. Both men slept soundly for hours.

Hannibal was normally the first to awake if there was anyone else in his bed, but given the turn of events it was actually Will who woke first. He didn’t want to admit it, but he could definitely feel that he had overdone it at the bar. (His bladder was also screaming at him.) For a moment, Will was confused as to where he was until he saw Hannibal’s face in the darkness. The other man had turned over in his sleep, with his hands under his cheek as if he were a cherubic school boy. Will couldn’t help but be amused. This was probably the first time in many years that anyone viewed Hannibal as cherubic.

Thinking about last night, Will realized that he exposed his heart to Hannibal and that while Hannibal did not end up making love to him, he hadn’t outright rejected Will, either. Will carefully rose from bed to use the master bedroom’s attached bathroom. Given the variety of potables he’d ingested the night before, Will figured that finding some aspirin using a capful of mouthwash was a wise decision. Afterwards, he turned off the light, let his eyes adjust, and carefully went back to bed. Hannibal had turned back over and after sliding into bed, Will couldn’t help but to sidle up to him and lay his arm around Hannibal’s midsection. The other man groaned happily, and - instinctively, it seemed - allowed Will to slip his other arm beneath him for a full embrace. Hannibal brought his knees up to a fetal position which Will mimicked, spooning him and burying his nose into the back of Hannibal’s neck. For one of the exceedingly rare times in his life, Will felt happy, calm, safe, and even loved. He knew that this moment wouldn’t last forever, but he was going to enjoy it while he could.

All things must pass, and Will couldn’t be conscious and lay embracing Hannibal without it affecting him. Feeling his arousal grow, his hair seemed to stand on end while electricity ran through his body. He slowly, softly started kissing the nape of Hannibal’s neck. The other man groaned again. Will thought that perhaps Hannibal had awoken, but decided not to check. Instead, he continued kissing Hannibal’s neck until he was pulling at the other man’s shirt collar to let his lips reach the tops of Hannibal’s shoulders. Will’s breathing started to deepen and quicken until his breath caught in his throat upon hearing another groan. He was surprised when Hannibal rolled over towards him. Will had started to extract himself until the other man looked into his eyes. “Hello,” Hannibal’s voice was deep and cracked slightly from non-use while sleeping.

“Hello,” Will replied. He had frozen in position, uncertain of how Hannibal would react.

“Do you remember last night?” Hannibal asked calmly.

Will raised his eyebrows while closing his eyes and smirking. “Yes.”

Hannibal inched forward imperceptibly. “And do you regret anything?”

“Only that I’d had so much to drink,” Will admitted.

“Good,” Hannibal purred before leaning towards Will and kissing him. Within seconds, Will’s hands were all over Hannibal and soon, his hands were removing the other man’s shirt. 

“Help me with mine,” Will directed. Hannibal obliged before pulling him into an embrace. “ _Hannibal_ _…_ ” Will felt as if he would explode right then with all of the built up anticipation, curiousity, and emotion he’d been harbouring. Instead, he would manage to last quite awhile. Hannibal slid back on the mattress away from Will to allow his hands room to tug at Will’s pajama bottoms. Will assisted, helping Hannibal take his boxers as well.

Hannibal followed the general downward direction of Will’s pants until he came to Will’s midsection. Both men were already hard, but Hannibal wanted to put Will’s cock in his mouth so that he could hear the other man moan with passion and call out his name. Will was obviously surprised at first, but he provided Hannibal with what he’d wanted within minutes. Hannibal was aching with desire to penetrate Will, but he also knew that given their chaotic, damaged history together, he needed to afford Will a token of trust. He pulled Will’s cock out of his mouth before he rose up to give the man another deep kiss. He let his hips levitate above Will who quickly rid Hannibal of his own bottoms. 

Hannibal sat up slightly to drink in Will’s form below him. Will Graham didn’t actively work out, but his body was toned from being wirey and often going long periods without eating while he was working a case. Hannibal ran his hand down Will’s chest. Will looked up and caught Hannibal’s eyes before the older man flashed a devilish grin and began moving downward again. Hannibal worked with patience, allowing his tongue to swirl around the head and shaft of Will’s penis to cause arousal but not climax. Eventually though, any man would come from the attention being given to Will. Hannibal waited until he felt Will’s already erect cock stiffen before deftly removing his mouth and laying on his side, placing Will’s hand on his hip. Without a word, Will understood what was being offered.

Will grabbed Hannibal’s left leg and lifted it slightly with his left arm while his right arm steadily moved his penis towards Lecter’s buttocks. His shaft was already wet and he was surprised at the ease in which he was able to enter Lecter. He heard the other man inhale slightly through parted lips while he felt the head of his cock push through the natural resistance that is always present during the initial throws of anal sex. Will brought his hips closer as he slowly but steadily slid the length of his shaft into Lecter. He heard Hannibal groan in slight pain but he wasn’t concerned - Hannibal would let him know if he couldn’t bear the discomfort. Instead, after a few moments, Will began to work himself in and out of Hannibal, picking up his pace until both men were panting and sweating. Hannibal’s hand shot out to grab Will’s ass as if to urge Will to push himself in harder, harder…

“ _Fuck, Hannibal, I’m going to come_ ,” Will exclaimed breathily before slapping his left hand against Lecter’s hip and burying his cock even deeper. He spilled his seed and grabbed onto the other man as if he were a lone lifeboat in a dark, angry ocean. It had been several days since he had masturbated and for a second, it seemed as if he would never stop. Will cried out in ecstasy while Hannibal grunted as if he were a rutting stag. After he was done coming, Will’s grip on Hannibal loosened slightly and he allowed his penis to slip out before his body collapsed onto Hannibal’s. Neither man said anything, but Will leaned forward to rest his chin upon Hannibal’s shoulder. The men resumed their spooning position while their bodies calmed down and their breathing slowed and became regular.

The two men lay intermeshed in one another for quite some time before Hannibal glanced back at Will. “Are you hungry?”

Will laughed, his demeanor at once calm and happy. “After the events of the last 12 hours? Yeah - who wouldn’t be?” He finished his thought by placing a hot kiss upon the back of Hannibal’s neck. 

“Yes, I would say that you worked up an appetite.”

“And here you weren’t going to get involved, Doctor. I thought you said that you would no longer lie to me,” Will teased.

“I lapsed,” Hannibal admitted before turning over and embracing Will briefly. “And as my penance, I shall clean myself up and provide you breakfast. And then, if you are completely sober, we will go pick up your car.”

“And if not?” Will asked.

“Then we will have to reenact what just happened,” Hannibal remarked, smiling, “only this time I’m on top.” 

** FIN  **


End file.
